Percussion musical instrument.



J. B. KOHLER.

PERCUSSION MUSlCAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR-22.1915.

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J. B. KOHLER.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2Z.1915.

1,200,370. I Patented Oct. 31916.

3. B. KOHLER.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION men APR-22. 1915.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN B. KOHLER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOI-ILEB-LIEBICH COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. KoHnER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Percussion Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the numerals of reference marked thereon which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments, as the type known as dinner chimes, wherein a tone is obtained by tapping a sounding member lightly, and has for its object to provide certain improvements in the construction of the same, as hereafter will be more definitely pointed out and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on l ne 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. A is a detail section taken on line 4-4- of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5-5 of Flg. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail partly in section and partly in elevation of an attaching eye for the supporting cords. Fig. 7 1s a top plan view of a slightly modified form of construction. Fig. 8 is a front edge view thereof. Fig. 9 is a detail section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8, with parts omitted. Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing still another slightly modified form of construction.

As shown in the drawings: As shown 1n Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, a base block 1, is provided having apertures 2, drllled vertically through the upper surface thereof and inserted through one side of said block in apertures provided for the purpose are cylindrical tubes or resonators 3, 4=, 5, and 6, respectively, closed at both their outer and inner ends, and near their 1nner ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:, each provided with an aperture through the wall thereof communicating with an aperture 2, 1n the block. Screwed into the upper surface of said block 1, along each edge thereof, said block being of trapezoidal shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, are a plurality of small screw eyes 7 and 8, respectively, with a cord 9,

threaded through the screw eyes 7, and two cords 10, threaded through the screw eyes 8. Supported upon said cords are sounding members consisting of bars or plates denoted respectively by the reference numerals 11, 12, 13, and 1 1, each at one end resting upon the cord 9, and at its other end inserted between the cords 10. Engaged through an aperture provided in said sounding members approximately at the node line thereof, are screws 15, each provided with a rubber or non-conducting sleeve 16. Also inserted beneath the head of each of the screws 15, is a soft non-conducting washer 17, said screws thus provided with the insulating means, preventing displacement of the sounding members from the cords.

In the modified form of device illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, in place of the block 1, of the previous construction, I have provided upper strips of wood 18, and lower strips 19, which are recessed, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, to receive the cylindrical resonators 20, 21, 22, and 23, seated therebetween, said resonators being closed at both ends and each provided with an aperture, and relatively long screw eye members 2A and 25, respectively, engage through said respective upper and lower strips between the resonators to hold the same associated with one another and with the resonators rigidly clamped therebetween. As in the previous construction, a single cord 26, is threaded through the eye members 24, and two transposed cords 27, are threaded through the eye members 25, for the purpose of suspending sounding members 28, 29, 30, and 31, above the resonators. As before, attaching screws 15, provided with insulating sleeves 16, and washers 17, are provided one for each of the sounding members, said screws engaging in one of the uppermost strips 18.

In the modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 10, instead of pairs of upper and lower strips such as those designated by the reference numerals 18 and 19, I have provided single strips 35 and 36, respectively, each apertured to receive the resonators 37, therethrough, the resonators being closed at each end and each provided with an opening 38, therein, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, directly beneath the sounding member which is supported by cords and at taching screws in the manner heretofore described.

The instrument is played by striking the sounding members with soft headed beaters, and due to the manner in which the sounding members are suspended or supported, the same may be struck practically at any point and still give off the desired full tone and note. The supporting cords which sustain the weight of the sounding elements may be knotted at their ends to retain the same attached through the screw eyes, or if desired extended downwardly around the block or other frame-work in which the resonators are mounted, and fastened on the bottom thereof in any suitable manner.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a base, elongated resonators supported therein, screw eyes mounted. in the upper surface of said base, cords threaded therethrough, and sounding members suspended upon said cords over and parallel with said resonators.

2. In a device of the class described, a base, resonators supported therein, screw eyes secured in the upper surface of said base, cords threaded through said screw eyes, sounding members supported upon said cords, and screws engaging through apertures in said sounding members and secured in said base to retain the sounding members from displacement on said cords.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of resonators, strips disposed 40 above and below the same and rigidly connected together to hold the resonators in proper spaced relation, cords disposed along the uppermost of said strips, and sounding members supported thereon over the resonators and parallel therewith.

f. In a device of the class described, a (plurality of resonators, retaining members therefor above and below the same, means engaging through said retaining members and disposed between the resonators to hold the retaining members associated with one another, said means having eyes formed at the upper ends thereof, cords threaded through said eyes, and sounding members supported on said cords and disposed above said resonators parallel therewith.

5. In a device of the class described, a pair of retaining strips, elongated resonators clamped therebetween, and sounding members mounted thereover parallel with said resonators.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. KOI-ILER.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLs, J12, EARL M. HARDINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

